


Fine

by Izzu



Series: Light and Shadows of O-50 [3]
Category: Tokusatsu, ウルトラシリーズ | Ultra Series, ウルトラマンオーブ | Ultraman Orb
Genre: F/M, Origin-verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 08:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9648407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzu/pseuds/Izzu
Summary: Because she said so, he wanted to believe in it.





	1. Light

"Master!"  
  
He thought he was imagining hearing it again as he cut down another Bezelb minion. That girl's voice, who started calling him as her 'master' despite the fact he hasn't even agreed to take her as an apprentice. Was she going to make this a _habit_ of hers—?  
  
"Master!"  
  
Her voice sounded even clearer now as Juggler turned around. True enough, from the corners where he last saw the two ran off to... they appeared. Micott was running ahead of the other two, and he saw Ricca with an _older_ man by her side.  
  
"It's because of you, we managed to find the Captain—!"  
  
That silly girl looked so happy that he couldn't help _smiling_ despite himself—but then his ears heard a shrill cry of a Bezelb. Juggler glanced up as he saw it; it was heading towards Micott! He turned his glance back down to see Micott not moving. At this rate, she would definitely be hit—!  
  
Before he knew it, he was running with all his might towards her. And just as he thought he wouldn't reach Micott in time, he caught her by the shoulders...  
  
xxx  
  
It felt as if the reality around him started to twist in a strange way. It felt _weird_.  
  
It seemed as if the sounds around him suddenly disappeared, but the sounds were still present. There was a sensation as the sharp claw penetrated his back; yet either from shock or surprise, it felt _surreal_. If not because of the horrified look Micott was wearing—the Bezelb started driving the claw even deeper and now the pain finally registered!  
  
He thought the creature would start pulling its claw back out, but his whole body was being pinned to the creature. _What the hell—!_  
  
"L-let... m-me go!"  
  
He was being lifted... and was he imagining it? Something... was _forcing itself into him!_ Juggler tried to fight off the creature that's taking him away before he started falling...  
  
xxx  
  
_"Everyone! Get on to the Suzaark!"_  
  
He couldn't even _remember_ how he got himself back to the ship. Everything around him seemed hazy, and the whole place starting to breaking apart around him. There were also a lot of hands pushing him forward he couldn't even tell who—the ship started to shake again as Juggler felt someone grabbing onto his arm.  
  
He could barely cry out an alarm before Micott's smiling face greeted him.  
  
"Don't push yourself too hard," she said as Juggler frowned. How could this girl still act like this to him after—he couldn't remember what happened during the time he blacked out and being controlled by the Bezelb, but he remembered how Ricca had looked at _him_ warily and how Micott seemed to have been hurt badly. So back then, he must have...  
  
"It's not your fault..."  
  
Juggler shook his head and stared at her again. Did Micott somehow... _read_ his mind?  
  
"Didn't that hurt?"  
  
Juggler gave her a blank look before staring down at the palm of his left hand. Micott sighed, pulling him towards a corner to sit before carefully untying his wrist guard. Somehow, the way Micott just went on to doing whatever she wanted with him was _intriguing_. He took a closer look at his hand. He remembered trying to cut himself trying to _clear_ his head but it failed. The thing that forced itself into him managed to take over him regardless and he fell into the darkness.  
  
"Don't worry about that..." he started to say, trying to pull his arm away.  
  
Micott held his arm tightly in response. "No, you must get this treated. To a swordsman, his hand is his most valuable asset. You can't ignore your own injuries!" Without waiting for a response, Micott started taking out her personal med kit.  
  
Juggler sighed. Why on earth does this girl _care_ too much about him? Instead of himself, she should have taken care of her _own_ injuries.  
  
"I'm... sorry. But aren't you hurt as well?"  
  
Micott smiled before looking up straight back at him. "I'm _fine_. I suppose I'd find some bruise here and there when I check later, but that's _okay_. It's a small price to pay in order to prevent _you_ from hurting anyone else. I _know_ that you'd hate it if something bad really happened to Ricca or anyone else because of something that you could not prevent. At least right now, no one was _really_ badly hurt."  
  
"Still..." Juggler started to say before the ship started to shake again.  
  
Micott glanced up after packing her things and pulled him upright to his feet. "Let's head to the cockpit now, it looks like we might have a bit of a bumpy ride..."


	2. Shadow

Somehow, an icy cold feeling started to take root inside his heart. It wasn't exactly a specific thought, but it was a feeling that he couldn't quite shake off from engulfing his heart. It wasn't as if he was still bitter for not being chosen by the light— _or was he?_ —it wasn't as if he wanted to question that end result. But day after day he started _questioning_ himself.  
  
The message that came out from OrbCalibur before _did_ say that _both of them_ still have their purpose. Not just Gai... but _himself too_. Yet now... he couldn't help thinking that all of the things that he remembered about that Ultra message was an _illusion_ he made up. Does Gai... even _needed_ him now?  
  
"Support? Am I even _that_ now to that guy?"  
  
xxx  
  
Suddenly she was glad that Ricca had gone back to the cockpit to assist Captain Shinra. That girl could be so clueless, despite knowing that she had a crush on the man. You'd think that as a fellow woman Ricca could be a bit less dense, ah well, guess Ricca was still young. Anyway...  
  
Micott turned around to see Juggler sitting on the nearby bench, looking dejected. She sighed. She had been wondering for a while now, until what point would the man be able to keep himself together before starting to break apart. She's been eyeing him for a while now... ever since the duo appeared inside their ship. The other one, Gai... who was able to become a giant warrior of light; was a seemingly _positive_ person from the outside. And appeared to be quite carefree. Unlike that Gai, Juggler was much more _reserved_ and serious. Even when he outwardly acted as if he didn't care about his friend, she could see that Juggler was, in fact, quite the _opposite_.  
  
She could see for so many times how much Juggler had worried for his friend. But because Juggler rarely showed his emotions openly, she kept wondering about the things that he kept to himself.  
  
Yet somehow, now looked to be that kind of moment for her to find out. She knelt in front of him.  
  
"Master... what're you talking about?"  
  
Juggler glanced up to her, before looking away. "It's... nothing for you to worry about. And stop calling me 'Master'! I didn't say that I agreed to teach you about my sword style!"  
  
Micott snorted. "Even if you say so... _Master_ , I did _learn_ some new things from you,"  
  
Juggler started to fume at her again, before sighing and averting his eyes from her.  
  
"Why are you like this?" Micott cocked her head towards him before he continued. "Don't you blame me? Because of me, your captain used that important seed that could have been used to protect your queen. If I haven't gotten myself controlled by that Bezelb earlier..."  
  
She frowned. "What're you talking about, Master? Was it because of the things Gai said earlier? Why are you blaming yourself now?" Micott inched closer towards him before putting her hands on his shoulders. "If it wasn't you, that Bezelb would have targetted _me_. Psychi had planned to have Captain Shinra use that seed regardless so that the captain couldn't stop whatever it was he's planning to do in Kanon. Any _one_ of us could have been a target. If you hadn't done what you did, the one who would be wallowing in guilt right now could have easily been me. Or Ricca."  
  
It was something that was bothering her for a while anyway. Because it was the _truth_. If Master Juggler didn't come to her rescue, _she_ would have been the one right now feeling burdened. And she was supposed to be one of the swordswomen in charge of the queen's _safety_. How could she... become a reason for the queen to be endangered?  
  
Juggler gave her a weak smile, yet his facial expression didn't change slightly. Micott shrugged.  
  
"I've been meaning to do this earlier... I wanted to say thank you. For saving me from that Bezelb. While risking your _own_ life in return."  
  
The man looked up at her before shaking his head. "I didn't do it to make you feel indebted to me. I did it because—"  
  
"I know. I'm just saying... that you _also_ did something worth praising. It might not be as great as what Asuka... or Gai could do as a warrior of light, but it doesn't make it any less important. Do those things even _matter_ anyway?"  
  
Micott gave him a nudge. "Cheer up, Master."  
  
xxx  
  
He tried to smile, but couldn't find it in his heart to do it. And then Micott did the _unexpected_. She leant over and embraced him tightly. Even then, it didn't feel unwelcome. This comforting gesture.  
  
"It'll be _fine_. Somehow... I'm sure we'll find a way to overcome everything. We'll stop Psychi for sure. You, me... everyone. _Everything will be fine_."  
  
Juggler thought of the darkness he started feeling ever since he had been freed from the Bezelb's puppetry. He hasn't told anyone how _scared_ he'd felt about it, yet right now...  
  
_He really wanted to believe in_ _Micott's_ _words._  
  
"Everything will be fine."


	3. Darkness

_"Everything will be fine."_  
  
"Stop! Micott!"  
  
It was like one of those nightmares that he used to have once in a while. And it was one of those moments that he wished that a _nightmare_ was just a nightmare. Because... if it was only a nightmare—a bad dream—he could just will himself to wake up and all will be fine.  
  
_But this... is not a dream!_  
  
xxx  
  
_As he felt the Suzaark making its landing, he turned to see_ _Micott_ _and Ricca scrambling to gather their ammunition. He snorted as he saw_ _Micott_ _carrying a large blaster.  
  
"I couldn't imagine seeing you fight using that! I thought you mostly fight with your swords..."_  
  
_Micott_ _grinned back at him. "You'd be surprised at how well I could use this. Besides, not all of those_ _Bezelbs_ _were small like the ones we fought before. It'd be hard to take on all of them with just the swords in our hands..."  
  
Juggler laughed. "You think? I won't let that stop me. I'll show you what I can do to those monsters with my blade. Regardless of how big or small they were!"  
  
She smiled again. "Very well. Show me all you've got then... Master!"  
  
"I sure will..."_  
  
xxx  
  
He couldn't even remember how he got himself down from the ledge. All that he knew was him rushing over to recover his sword... and attacked the Bezelb that tried to approach Ricca from behind. Even as he landed on the ground, he could hear Shinra's approach from behind him as the man finished off the creature.  
  
Juggler turned around as he stared at Ricca's form, cradling the now _lifeless_ Micott. Even as he continued staring at them, the image in front of him remained the same. _This... can't be happening!  
  
"That's a great technique! What kind of sword style was it?"_  
  
How could this be really be happening? This... couldn't possibly be real. _Micott_ _... she can't be...!_  
  
_"Tell me what was it?"_  
  
He could still remember how her voice had resounded in his mind. How lively she had smiled, how warm her presence had been near him. He could still remember the first few conversation he had with her from a few days ago as if it had happened minutes before—so what was this scene in front of him? Juggler barely even sensed the approach of the Bezelb, but even before it cried out his body had already moved. His sword found its prey even when he couldn't see clearly in front of him—his only thoughts were to cut down every single Bezelb that crossed his path.  
  
_"Now, now... let's hurry up! Master!"_  
  
He continued chasing after the smaller Bezelbs as he delivered his attack. Not wanting to waste any movements, he wanted every Bezelb to taste the sharpness of his blade and every blows he could give them. Even when he was fighting them three against one, he kept attacking. Even when so many others kept coming!  
  
And along with each thrust he made, Juggler kept recalling every single memory he had of her, every conversation.  
  
What was this thing he was feeling? _It hurt so much! It was so_ _heavy..._ _and painful_ —he wanted all those Bezelbs to taste the same pain he was feeling! He wanted all of them to disappear! _How could all these abominations get to live when_ _Micott_ _had to—!_  
  
He started to recall _more_ memories of the past. And the old conversation he had with Gai came to mind. Of his idealistic view of the world, of how Gai thought the justice of the universe was supposed to be. What good was that? It was all rubbish!  
  
_Power_! He never thought he would want it so much like now. If only he had enough power! If only he had been strong enough to protect what was important to him. If only he wasn't so weak!  
  
_Micott_ _wouldn't have died!_  
  
He paused, before noticing the many fallen Bezelbs lying around him. So many dead... yet no amount of the dead bodies could bring _her_ back to life. And the great hole inside his heart right now could never be healed.  
  
Juggler screamed.  
  
xxx  
  
He looked up. The tree... despite everything, was still standing so mightily. Even when it was the cause for every misery felt on this very day. A cursed thing. This tree that Psychi and the Bezelb were after—what they wanted so much... that they would not care about the lives of any other living beings that stood before them.  
  
"Was this Tree of Life your treasure...?"  
  
It was a necessary existence to this world, Shinra explained. Its existence supported the hearts and minds of the people of this planet. Yet to him...  
  
"To me... that tree was like a _demon_."  
  
It was all because of this tree. Because of this tree... Psychi and those wretched monsters came here to take it. If only this tree didn't exist!  
  
_If only this tree didn't exist... if this battle did not happen,_ _Micott_ _would still be...!_  
  
If that tree ceased to exist, this foolish fight would have definitely be stopped. There would not be any reason for this planet, its people... the queen that Micott sought to protect with her life—to be in danger anymore!  
  
Juggler took up his ready position. This new power was still unfamiliar, but he should be able to use it. It shouldn't be impossible for him to achieve what he wanted to do...  
  
"Wait! What're you trying to do!"  
  
Juggler turned to face Shinra. "If that tree was gone, this fight would end. There would be no more _sacrifice!_ As long as this fight ended, your queen would be protected!" he said before proceeding to jump towards the tree.  
  
He would end it all. He would cut down that tree. Everything should be _fine_ then!  
  
_Everything... should be fine!_


End file.
